I Surprised My Family

We weren't home during Chanukah so tonight was the traditional dinner that we missed. I usually hate cooking but decided to go all out today, my last night before school starts again.

The salad


The turkey (for my carnivores)

The meatballs (for my carnivores)

The potato latkas

The two hungry men in my family and my son's friend.

And of course Rita. She is never far away when there is food on the table.

Not Dreading Tomorrow

I am definitely going to wait until summer vacation to decide whether I should retire this year or not. When I am at work, I am tired and frustrated and ready to pack it in. Yet, as I contemplate returning tomorrow, I feel excitement, not dread. (OK, a little dread. I am really not looking forward to getting up at 6:15 while the house is cold and everyone in it is asleep.)

I know I am nuts, but I missed the lunacy that goes with my life as a teacher. I missed the captive audience that laughs at my jokes and reveres my teaching. I missed the kids coming to me for advice. I even missed those geometry kids whose main goal in life is to torture me and every other teacher around. Maybe I need more of a life, but I need the satisfaction achieved by getting some of the scatterbrains to succeed.

I even missed my confrontations with Mr. AP. Even when I lose a battle, I feel I am winning the war with him. He hates arguing with me because he knows he can never get the last word in. I often walk out on him with the word "fine", but he knows it is not fine. He knows that although I say he has won, he hasn't.

If I leave, I will never know if I managed to irritate this principal as much as I have irritated every other principal in the past. I will not get the answer to my son's question "Does the principal irritate you before you irritate him, or is it the other way around?" I will miss watching the young generation of teachers grow up. There are so many fine ones out there and if they can just not be corrupted by NCLB and all these standardized tests, they will be wonderful educators for future generations.

People say the best time to retire is the end of June to double dip, collect pension and summer pay. Money has never been my driving issue. While I am not rich, I have enough. If money was the issue, I would have left almost two years ago.

Vacations are good. In the two weeks we were off, I spent a week in Jamaica, saw a movie I really wanted to see (The Boy In The Striped Pajamas), saw a Broadway play (Boeing Boeing- closed today so you can't see it), shopped, ate out, saw friends and relaxed. I even got to sleep off the affects of a bad cold. But, can I do this forever? I'm not sure. I need to see how I feel during the summer, during the two month break.

Jail Warden Would Be An Easier Parent

Having a teacher for a mom can be hard on kids. My son would be the first one to attest to this.

The year he finished fifth grade, he brought home a report card with a fairly low English grade. When I found out it was due to poor homework, I hit the ceiling. He had to be punished but, the punishment had to fit the crime.

After much thought it hit me, BOOK REPORTS!!! What better way to teach him the error of his ways than to have him make up the work he did not do all year. Since reading and writing were not his forte, this assignment tortured him. He had to complete a book and a report every two weeks. He toiled away at the computer, cursed me under his breath and did the work I demanded.

You might think he learned something from this, but that was not the immediate case. Every year after, there was always some class his work was not complete in. In the long run, I think it helped. He graduated from a prestigious university as a computer engineer and is currently a few credits away from completing his masters degree. He loves to read and is a wonderful writer. I however got immediate (and slightly sadistic) satisfaction out of watching him toil away. His friends (he is now 26) still laugh at his summer of book reports.

I Never Get Tired Of These

The ice skaters at Rockefeller Center The drummer soldier

The flute playing soldier

Of course, the tree

The flags

The chandeliers at a Broadway Theater. This one is from the Longacre where we saw one of the last performances of Boeing Boeing. (Very funny, closing on Sunday)

No post would be complete without Mr. Photogenic himself, Larry.

More Comics

Baby Blues 1/2/09

Playing For Change: Song Around the World

Happy 2009 to all

Snow, Yuck!

On Sunday, I was looking at this:


Today, I am looking at this:



I want to go back!!!!!

Uncle Jay Explains: Year-end! 12-22-08

Thanks to Schoolgal.

Happy New Year to all!

Who Says Math Is Not Relevant To Real Life?

You even need it to read the comics.

Baby Blues 12/31/08
Rhymes With Orange 12/13/08

One Love, One Heart

The smile on every tourists face. Happy feet
Fountain at night--in front of my favorite restaurant.
Driftwood--I have 100's of pictures of the wood and dead trees on the beach.
Santa arriving by ATV
Crane enjoying a breakfast of sausage and eggs
Apple martini from the martini bar

Creamy chocolate martini--yummy!

The blue water

No trip to Jamaica is complete without the fire dancer

Jogger footprints

Red stripe bottle--no garbage cans in the nature reserve

Empty sun tan lotion container--a must to refill in this climate

Sandman

The pastry chef--he made all kinds of yummy desserts and a special chocolate bread for us to bring home.

Bird on the beach

Ocean hitting the shore

Leaf on the beach

This guy weeded his little area all day. I wanted to bring him a drink but he told me he is not allowed to drink on the job--one of the things I hated about the place and plan on writing to them about.

Parade on Christmas day. Christmas was the only day of the year the slaves did not have to work. They wore masks to cover their identities and prevent any retaliation from owners.

Chocolate Fondue from the chocolate buffet.

Sunset

Hermit crab in a conch shell

Lovers dessert for two
Lights reflecting in pool

Salad--so pretty it needed a picture before eating

Bird--waiting for pizza leftovers

Peacock, also waiting for leftovers.

Boat used by a local to hawk conch shells. He didn't sell many. Tourists in Jamaica don't carry cash.

Vine along beach

Lost sandal

Swamp with a crocodile that I did not get to see.